Q&A: More information on dyslexia...please!

"My sister is homeschooling her daughter who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and we've decided to do the research together. I found your article on dyslexia most helpful for her - I wondering if you had any additional information."

Answer: I'm glad you found the article Battling Dyslexia helpful. The only way to truly understand dyslexia would be to raise a successful child who was born with the disorder or to have been born with it yourself. Years of research have helped scientists and doctors help the millions of people who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. Here's an even closer look at the facts surrounding the learning disorder Dyslexia...

Dyslexia Defined

What is Dyslexia? Simply put, Dyslexia is a disorder that affects the way your child perceives reading and language. According to research, faulty wiring in the brain causes this disorder. A dyslexic person hears a word as having only one sound instead of hearing it as a combination of sounds. They hear the word car as "car" while others hear it as "c-aa-rr". Because of this, when your child is first learning to read and trying to distinguish the sounds that letters make and combining those letters to make simple words, they’re fighting a battle that’s almost impossible for them to win alone.

Boys are at a higher risk!

Dyslexia really is more common in boys than girls, new research says, contradicting studies suggesting that boys are simply more likely to be diagnosed with the problem because they tend to act up in class when they get frustrated. The findings suggest boys are at least twice as likely to have dyslexia, a learning disability that involves trouble with reading, said the authors, led by Dr. Michael Rutter of King’s College in London. They said the findings should prompt research into why this is so. Read more about this at MSNBC.com

Is it genetic?

New research shows when it comes to dyslexia in some children, it may be all in the genes. The brain disorder affects millions of Americans. Now scientists say a discovery may lead to treatment - and even early intervention. There is a lot of controversy about what causes dyslexia - if it's just part of one end of the spectrum of learning, and even whether it's a real disorder. But research suggests in some cases, it may be linked to a specific gene.

It's officially called KIAA0319, and it was discovered when researchers in England studied hundreds of dyslexics and compared their genetics to people without the disorder. Julie Williams, neuropsychology geneticist: "There were big differences in the variations we observed." Researcher Julie Williams says the next step is to find out exactly what the gene does. Julie Williams, neuropsychology geneticist: "If this gene affects processes that appear on a daily basis, for example, then we may be able to have active interventions that could help people with dyslexia." And Williams says she believes there are other genes that may actually help predict who's at risk. To Read More about this click here.

Helpful Hints and Tricks!
Here are many wonderful and fun ways to help your young dyslexic child look at reading, writing, and everyday tasks in a different light. These pages of ideas were written by and for parents of dyslexic children. Some ideas include writing with shaving cream in the bath and listening to the audio version of Harry Potter while following along with the book. Tell us about ways in which you help and support your dyslexic child is full of great hands-on ideas.

Printables
Here are Fact Sheets about Dyslexia and Related Learning Disabilities for you to keep and print out at home. These are provided by the International Dyslexia Association.

Shoot for the Stars!
Here is a list of over 150 names of people blessed with dyslexia, otherwise known as free-thinkers, that have reached beyond their learning disability to achieve greatness.

I know that this is just a small sampling of the well researched information thats available on dsylexia. However, no matter how small of a piece to the puzzle it is...I hope that it helps some parents to begin to understand the trials and the gifts that come with every child.

Good Luck & Happy Homeschooling!